International news

Flights canceled, evacuations begin in Philippines as typhoon nears

CrisLarano

MANILA — Several flights were canceled and ships kept from sailing Friday as the strongest storm since the deadly supertyphoon Haiyan bore down on the Philippines.

Typhoon Hagupit, expected to make landfall Saturday, has gained strength on its path to the central part of the country, reported the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration, the local weather bureau better known as Pagasa.

That area was devastated in November last year by Haiyan, a supertyphoon that killed over 6,300 people and cost the economy around $12 billion in damages.

Pagasa said Hagupit — Filipino for lash and pronounced as Ha-guh-pit — early Friday recorded sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gusts of 250 kilometers per hour. Haiyan gusted over 300 kilometers per hour.

The weather bureau, however, said that the speed of the typhoon’s move across the country slowed to 13 kilometers per hour, which is a concern because that could mean more damage.

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